


Along the Way

by LoversAntiquities



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Human Castiel, Kissing, M/M, Swimming, Swimming Pools
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 14:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3123527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoversAntiquities/pseuds/LoversAntiquities
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Have you ever swam?”</p><p>Dean cocked a brow at him. “Of course, why?” He watched Castiel cast a glance to the pool, practically egging him on. “Dude, like, right <i>now</i>?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Along the Way

Whoever decided to hunt in the middle of July, and in _Orlando_ , no less, was a moron. Namely, Sam. Just because they hadn’t been out of the bunker in a week didn't mean they needed to head all the way across the country to find out what was dragging tourists to a watery death at Lake Apopka. Apparently hexed alligators with a newly acquired taste for human flesh actually _existed_ , and said witch was content to sic her children on those who got too close to the shore all in the name of trying to recreate Lake Placid. She was gone now, her gators dispatched, and all was right in the world. For five minutes, anyway.

The end of the case wasn't their issue; they still had another day before check out, and their room was mildly decent despite the motel only having two beds on such short notice. Though, the full kitchen was worth it, personal space violations be damned. Even the near-constant screaming from children and their parents on rides at nearby Old Town couldn't keep them awake once they crashed for the night. No, it was the _people_ , mini vans and sedans full of tourists packing the streets near the parks at all hours, backing up traffic, the locals driving like they had lost complete control of their hands. They were lucky to have gotten out of it without a single dent or windshield crack. Or getting _keyed_ , that too.

Donning the Fed garb and wandering around the ever-present humidity had the trio begging for any sign of water or air conditioning they could find, always staying in the homes of their interviewees for longer than necessary or ducking into gas stations just to cool off before having to run outside to start the process over again. Between trips across town, he noticed the pool in the center of the motel complex was always packed with too many people, mostly shrieking kids with their parents looking too wiped to care about anything they did. So much for the happiest place on earth.

The prevalent noise from the Old Town amusement park and the cars passing on highway died down around the two o’clock hour, giving them enough time to actually settle into a semi-comfortable sleep without being woken up by the sound of screams or dogs barking, or the neighbors in the next room fucking at odd hours of the night. _That_ had been a wakeup call none of them wanted.

Still, despite the newfound quiet and amongst the flickering of lamp light through moth-eaten blinds, Dean couldn't sleep. Not with Castiel sneaking his cold feet between his own like he had so many other nights, not with the sound of Sam’s snores in the other bed, or even the whine of the broken fan above the stove; nothing brought to him the solace of unconsciousness. They still had a day to kill after the sun rose, and most of that would probably be spent sleeping in or at the park next door, or whatever else they could get up to based on the various flyers Castiel brought back from the motel lobby. Sam had mentioned something about the space center, hadn’t he?

Somewhere around three in the morning, he left the room to sit poolside with his feet dangling in the water, head propped up on his hands, staring out into the light reflected from the four lamps in the area and the flood lights below the blue surface, illuminating just enough for him to tell if anyone else was in the area. Above, the stars were barely visible in the suburban sky, moon obscured beyond the roof of one of the motel’s many buildings.

 _I could swim_ , he thought, water rippling with each lazy kick of his feet. The balmy Florida air was eighty degrees even in the dark, the water temperature somewhere close to that, never having the chance to cool completely. For once it wasn't occupied, leaving him with ample opportunity to strip down to his underwear if he wanted. The weariness of his bones and his stupid shoulder sprain had him thinking different; he would probably fall asleep and someone would mistake him for being a floater, with his luck. Just what they needed.

To his far-off left, he heard the screech of the gate door opening, followed by the lock slamming shut. Dean didn't bother to speak until his new visitor was seated at his side, fingers tugging up the legs of his pajama pants before dipping his feet in the lukewarm water. “You weren’t in bed for a while, I was wondering if you had driven off without us,” Castiel muttered, hands in his lap. “You couldn't sleep?”

Dean shook his head, sighing. “…Too quiet.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “All these years, and the _silence_ gets me. I can sleep through downshifting and storms, ‘n hell, even that mass car alarm thing back in Tulsa. But this?” He motioned to the complex and the street lamps. “Only gets quiet when somethin’ bad’s about to happen. Always thought someone was gonna bust down the door or torch the place. …Never really thought we’d get a night like this, y’know?”

Castiel agreed with a nod, lifting the toes of his feet above the water and wiggling them dry. “Is this a regular occurrence? It’s much quieter at the bunker, yet I’ve never heard your footsteps.”

“It’s… I feel safer there,” he admitted. The bunker had every defense against whatever creature wandered in, all within his grasp – even if someone managed to get past the front door and tried to eviscerate them, they could at least defend themselves accordingly. Staying in cheap motels across the country, he had to be alert at all hours, resting just long enough to function but never enough to feel fully rested. It was a miracle he hadn’t developed some sort of sleep disorder. “We’re kinda out in the middle of the boonies, there. Here, there’s tourists and man-eating gators, and I swear to _God_ if I get bit by another mosquito, I’m gonna _punch_ someone.”

“Your brother, despite his best interests, has the innate ability to put us in the worst of environments.” And if that wasn't the truth. “Have you ever swam?”

Dean cocked a brow at him. “Of course, why?” He watched Castiel cast a glance to the pool, practically egging him on. “Dude, like, right _now_?”

“Unless you want to brave the crowd tomorrow, now would be the opportune time.” He moved to stand, stripping off his shirt and placing it on one of the white pool chairs, following with his pants. “It’s too _hot_ here.”

“You’re tellin’ me, I don’t think I’ve sweated this much in my _life_.” Getting down to his boxers took a record total of five seconds, more than eagerly tossing them in the vague direction of Castiel’s clothing before dashing across the dry tiles and diving into the deep end less than gracefully, the slight bite to the water doing what the shower had failed to accomplish in all the last week. Castiel was _smiling_ at him when his head broke the surface, walking into the shallower end of the pool from the steps, never really venturing past the five-foot line. “Hey, can you swim?”

“I—Jimmy could, yes. I’ve never had the time.” Dean ducked under and surfaced at Castiel’s side, shaking the water from his hair. “You could teach me?”

Dean blinked, watching the sincerity on Castiel’s face fade to reluctance, probably regretting his decision. “I—yeah, Cas. Y’know what? Better late than never, right? Human’s gotta learn sometime.” He patted his shoulder, feeling the tension there soften. “You know how to float?” The resounding silence was his answer. “Okay, so, y’gotta lean back, like this.”

Castiel watched Dean flop unceremoniously onto his back and send waves of ripples in every direction, managing to splash water in his face, sputtering in his attempt to right himself. “Am I supposed to do it so inelegantly?”

“No, no—that’s—.” He struggled to keep his laughter to a minimum, striving not to wake any of the neighbors up. The fact they were in the pool in the early morning hours, and _half naked_ save for their underwear, no doubt, was enough to warrant suspicion in itself. “That’s just me being uncoordinated. Look, here.” Placing one hand square between Castiel’s shoulders and the other on his stomach – _little close there, Winchester_ – he motioned for Castiel to lean back. “Just fall back, let your legs go limp. I got you, I got you.”

He was probably a horrible teacher, he knew; it had been _decades_ since he taught Sam, only because his dad’s method had been to throw him in and hope he figured it out on his own. Thankfully he got to Sam before the same could be done to him, and he wasn't about to throw Cas into the deep end and watch him sink like a rock. He shuddered at the thought. Still, the level of trust Castiel put in him had him wondering why he _deserved_ it as he felt the body in his grasp fall back, coming to rest just above the surface, barely held up by Dean’s hands.

“See, that’s not so bad, right?” Dean smirked; Castiel rolled his eyes. Belatedly, he realized his hand was still pressed to the flat expanse of Castiel’s stomach, thumb stroking the wet skin there without his knowledge; neither spoke a word of it, Dean instead moving his wandering hand to the small of his friend’s back, both hands holding him up. “If I let you go, are you gonna freak out?”

“I was an _Angel_ , Dean. Water doesn’t—.” The subsequent flailing would have been humorous if he weren’t so concerned for Castiel swallowing half the pool. Dean got him upright and actually standing after a struggle, receiving several smacks to his chest for his troubles.

“Okay, so, lesson two. Always be aware of your surroundings.” He clapped Castiel’s shoulder, chuckling at the scowl on the former Angel’s face; for someone who almost drowned in a few feet of water and looked like a wet rat, he was strangely adorable.

He really should have anticipated backlash, though. “You’re one to talk, Dean.”

“Oh really?” He stepped back with Castiel’s advance, arms treading water at his sides. If Castiel was planning something, his face didn't show it; his _lips_ did, a corner ticking up in subdued amusement. “What, you think I’m not _aware_ of my surroundings?”

“I’m _saying_ ,” Castiel stopped, leering, “that you’re still underestimating me.”

“ _Really_? ‘Cause from where I’m standin’—.”

He _also_ should have learned to _anticipate_ what he couldn't see – Castiel tripped him up with a foot to his ankle, throwing him off balance enough to shove him backwards, sinking them both in a jumble of limbs and air bubbles. His back hit the concrete bottom, shoulders digging into the surface as Castiel held him there, stinging eyes watching one another in blurred amusement – what a _liar_. Not only could he swim, but he was apparently determined to drown him by stealing the breath directly from his lungs. Despite the chlorine burn in his eyes, he watched Castiel through the kiss, a barely there press of lips before he moved to cup the back of his head, urging him closer, again, _again_.

Until breathing decided to be of the utmost importance. Before his lungs decided to make a break for it, Dean pulled away and launched off the bottom of the pool, gasping the minute he hit air. Castiel followed, infinitely more graceful in his movements, running both hands through his hair; Dean barely bit back a whine. “You _dirty_ liar, you planned this, didn’t you?” He splashed water in Castiel’s direction, his other hand rubbing the sting from his eyes.

“I’ve wanted to do this all week,” Castiel confessed, smug; Dean huffed out a laugh. “Though, I didn't think you would catch on so late.”

“Hey, I caught on—oh, fuck it.” With an arm around his waist, he pulled Castiel in flush and resumed the kiss, losing himself in the spit-slick slide of lips and the soft presses of Castiel’s fingers on his neck, back, his own tucked just beneath the waistband of his briefs, teasing the skin there and earning a content hum as he broke away. “…You taste like chlorine.”

Castiel barked a laugh, Dean’s heart fluttering at his smile; he wanted to see it again, to be the only one to make him that happy, no matter how selfish the thought was. “You’re not any better. You also feel like sandpaper.”

“Hey, this was _your_ idea.” He pressed their foreheads together, eyes closed. “I was perfectly happy sittin’ over the—.”

The sound of someone shouting in their direction caught their attention, the stranger frantically waving a flashlight outside the gate. “ _Shit_ , someone ratted us out, get your—!” But Castiel was already out of the water, surging over the edge of the pool and gathering up both sets of discarded pajamas, leaving Dean to pull himself out and run after, all before the night guard caught up to them. They escaped back into their building, underwear sopping wet, laughing like teenagers as Dean pushed him against the wall outside their room, kissing him quiet.

“Sammy’s probably still asleep,” he mumbled against Castiel’s lips. “Shower?”

Castiel nodded. “Then sleep. Preferably for the rest of the day.”

“That’s somethin’ we can do.” He reached for the door. “C’mon, then.”

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a prompt floating around months ago that involved TFW at a pool, and it evolved into Dean and Cas swimming in Florida. Also known as the one time I stayed at Celebration Suites at Old Town on spring break and heard people screaming all night because people like to ride the slingshot at two in the morning. Happiest place on earth my snow white ass. 
> 
> Thanks to my girls in the group chat for both distracting me and reminding me of the prompt in the first place~.
> 
> I'm gonna get back to writing White Lightning today, so _hopefully_ I can get chapters out consistantly. After that is two more AU's, one of which is probably gonna be the smuttiest thing I've ever smut. You've been warned.
> 
> Title is from the Gary Allan song.
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](http://tragidean.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/loversantiquity).


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